Innovazione

🚠 Swedish company Candela Boats will supply 8 electric ferries, the Candela P-12, to Saudi Arabia for use in Neom's waterways. The 30-seat P-12 is part of a movement towards emission-free transport systems. Candela Boats' CEO Gustav Hasselskog announced the deal, with deliveries expected between 2025 and early 2026. The P-12 will debut in Stockholm in autumn of the current year.

💸 In Switzerland, the National Bank and SIX Swiss Exchange have introduced instant payments, immediately available to approximately 60 financial institutions, covering over 95% of retail payments. All retail institutions will have this option by the end of 2026. The system allows for immediate account-to-account transactions, reducing risks and providing instant funds availability while maintaining the option for traditional transfers. This move potentially paves the way for future payment innovations in Switzerland.

💻 SITA collaborates with Cradlepoint, owned by Ericsson, to include Cradlepoint routers and NetCloud Manager in its cloud-based mobile to Wi-Fi solutions, ensuring top customer service and network performance. Martin Smillie, SVP for communications and data exchange at SITA, highlights the next-gen products for airports, airlines, and ground services. The technology also extends to passenger processing outside airports, SDWAN backup for remote sites, and data connectivity for aircraft.

🏡 Gitavillage Le Marze, part of the Gitav group in Europe, will launch Air Dream Suite, floating bedroom accommodations, in 2025. Created by Cesare Francorsi, these unique "houses suspended in the air between trees" include mobile homes of approximately 20sqm, featuring double beds, single sofa beds, kitchens, bathrooms, and verandas, plus a 5m high suspended room accessed via a tree platform, hatch, and ladder. Each suite ensures privacy with exclusive reserved spaces, despite shared walkways.

🚀 Etihad's A380 to commence flights to Singapore starting February 1, adding it as the fourth destination after London, New York, and Paris, with Paris flights beginning in November. From October 27, Etihad will increase Thailand flights to 41 per week, flying three times daily to Bangkok and operating 20 weekly flights to Phuket.

🌊 Traghettiper, a ferry booking comparison website, launched a new user interface featuring a modern and intuitive design to enhance user experience. This update allows travelers to quickly compare offers and select suitable ferry rates and availability in real time. Traghettiper collaborates with leading maritime operators, offering customers a wide selection of navigation companies and routes across the Mediterranean.

🚀 Cathay Pacific orders 30 A330-900 widebody aircraft to renew its medium-sized fleet and replace A330-300 models, aiming to expand regional high-capacity routes. The A330-900 can fly non-stop for 7,200 nautical miles (13,330 km) and features the award-winning Airspace cabin. Airbus states these planes can operate with up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with a goal of 100% by 2030.

✈ In a $3 billion restyling project, Emirates launched its first upgraded Boeing 777 with a new Premium Economy cabin featuring 24 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration, 38-inch legroom, 19.5-inch width, and an 8-inch recline. The inaugural flight heads to Geneva today. Emirates President Tim Clark emphasizes the commitment to unmatched onboard experiences. The new cabins will also fly to Tokyo Haneda and Brussels in the coming weeks, with more destinations to be announced.

🏨 Telepass launches 'Fast Track' priority airport access at Naples airport, already active in Rome, Milan, and Turin. The service allows clients of Mundys Group to bypass security checks via a dedicated lane by showing a boarding pass and QR code from their phone. Plus customers access for free, Base customers until December 31, 2024, with up to 5 Fast Track requests available in the app.

🎲 Leolandia's summer attractions highlight water features, including the new "Draghi e Leggende" area with 10 water-spraying dragons. Kids over 90 cm can enjoy "Pirati alla Deriva" river journey with an adult, and engage in battles at "Tesoro di Rocca Mediterranea." The park features wet play areas themed around popular cartoons, such as "Cortile di Masha" and "Spraypark di PJ Masks City," plus "Gold River" for the daring. For dry fun, there's "Scuola Guida Futuro," Italy's first sustainable mobility-themed park attraction. Every weekend starting at 17:30, a summer parade with over 40 actors and dancers takes place.